Rating: 
Summary: One of the best movies ever!!!
Review: Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity, oh my!!! I just saw this movie today and is dying to see the 2nd!!! I always liked Morpheus the best. I didn't like Neo that well because he didn't seem like 'the one' and I was expecting him to wear the black jacket and those glasses but like half of the movie he was bald! The only thing I didn't like about it was that they were in the real world most of the time! I recomend this movie to any sci-fi fan
Rating:
Summary: It's just... FUN!
Review: "Fun" is the exact word to describe this film. It features wonderful visual effects, the music is fabulous and the cast is outstanding. Keanu Reeves as Neo is the perfect cast. Neo is the hero figure, which symbolizes a certain ornament to the general plot, other than being the plot. Much like Keanu himself.The movie may seem a little childish at first, a little shallow. But you'll feel an uncontrollable urge to see it again. And once you do that, and you will, you'll find this hidden depth. You won't be sure of it the first time, so you'll see it again, trust me... you will. I bought it a few months ago and I'm trapped in this cycle ever since. And I'm a happier man. :)
Rating:
Summary: This movie is all around us
Review: "It would appear, Mr Anderson, that you have been leading two lives.... One of these lives has a future; the other does not". These chilling words introduce us, and a freshly black-belted Keanu Reaves, to Agent Smith. And let's be honest, who among us does not know a superior at work or school who is, perhaps, a little like Agent Smith? The Wachowski brothers have not merely created a superlative special-effects kung fu homage movie. They have redefined the scope of the action picture to encompass thought-provoking pop philosophy. Read the quotes and trivia for a taste of this (and check the IMDb link below for more). They combine brilliant technical innovation (bullet time, so well captured on DVD) with a spooky science fiction premise that, frankly, makes you stop and think. Maybe the little boy bending the spoon is right.... Watch it again and decide for yourself. It gets better every time.
Rating:
Summary: Great Action movie
Review: "No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself." says Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), the earnest, elegant John the Baptist figure in the Wachowski brothers' allegorical science fiction masterpiece. Well, we'll give it a shot. He's talking to Neo (Keanu Reeves), a blank-faced computer whizz who's about to go through the looking glass - out of the late 20th century world as he knows it, into the real, post-apocalyptic "desert of the real". It's a reality where robots rule the planet and keep humans plugged into a virtual reality matrix, living in a dream world, while their energy fuels the machines. Morpheus thinks Neo is The One, the messiah figure who will destroy the Matrix and resurrect humanity. Fellow freedom fighter Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is convinced too. But Neo isn't certain, and will have to face the pernicious, powerful, Matrix meanie Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) to find out. At first viewing, the action sequences stun, but there's more to this than the groundbreaking "bullet time" photography, or the adolescent allure of flash, black clothes and big, black guns. Sure, "The Matrix" is almost untenably cool, but beneath the sheen there's substance. The story's a potent mix of buddhism, Greek mythology, and - predominantly - the Christian gospel. The image of a superficial existence, where ignorant people thrive by blocking out a troublesome reality, is potent for a Western society drowning in wealth while the rest of the world suffers. The performances, too, wow. Admittedly Reeves is gifted the perfect role - he has to look good while hitting things - but Moss is charismatic, clever and sexy, while Fishburne is monumental. Nestling next to "The Terminator" and "Metropolis", this is one the finest sci-fi flicks ever made. What is "The Matrix"? It's genius. And yes, we admit, you do have to see it for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: ZERO originality.
Review: "People who think that The Matrix contains one single original idea should probably not try to read a Phil Dick novel. Their heads would explode." - Marc Laidlaw From Star Trek Borg to Sleeping Beauty, there is not a single original thought in this movie. Most of it derives from concepts and theories portrayed in several Star Trek and Outer Limits episodes. Yes, the special effects were good, but they would have been much better had they been illustrating an idea born, and not re-born. The cheezy ending topped it off. I really wish he would have taken the blue pill.
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Summary: The Matrix - Definitive DVD Review
Review: "The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth."
"What truth?"
That "The Matrix" is a brilliant film. You put in the DVD, and immediately you are confronted with a fast moving montage of the best bits of the movie. You could sit and watch the menu for two hours, or you could watch the film. What I thought before watching the movie was that it was just another sci-fi movie with nothing I hadn't seen before. I was wrong. Very, very wrong. The beginning is a bit slow moving, but you need to hang in there to fully appreciate the rest of the film.
The film follows the story of Thomas A. Anderson or his hacker alias Neo. He is just like you or me until he is contacted by Morpheus. He explains to Neo how where he lives is actually a computer generated dream world sent into our brains by machines who need our energy to survive. The Matrix is that dream world. Neo is apparently able to remake the Matrix as he sees fit, and the movie is about how he discovers his abilities.
Neo is played by Keanu Reeves, who spent four months learning kung fu for the movie. It really does make for great viewing.
But what stands out the most are the amazing special effects. I'm talking about bullet time. The camera spins around Neo as he dodges bullets in super slow motion. The explosions, the camera effects as the camera zooms through computer screens, allowing us to see inside the screen, it's all amazing.
Another dimension to the film is the score, by Don Davis. It is great by itself but adds mood and mysteriousness to the movie. Also, the soundtrack is great, from Rage Against The Machine (The end of the film where Neo hangs up the phone) to the Propellerheads (The shoot-out scene in the lobby of the Government building). So the film is breathtaking, but it doesn't stop there. Back in 1999, the release of the DVD transformed how DVDs were to be made. It had tons of special features, hidden special effects documentaries, and a great DVD-ROM feature that allowed you to access interviews, games, exclusive websites and more. Even today it rises above many other DVDs in terms of special features. And if that isn't enough, a double disc DVD is available with even more features.
The film is rated 15, but there isn't really anything there that's too bad for older children. If anything, it appeals more to younger people.
So if you're thinking of buying this DVD, there's no point in thinking about it. Go ahead and buy it. It is a film that gets better every time you watch it, and you will need to watch it again to notice everything in the film. It is essential to anyone's DVD collection.
"Why do my eyes hurt?"
"You've never used them before..."
Rating:
Summary: One of the truly amazing science-fiction accomplishments
Review: "You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." These revealing words spoken by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) touch just the very tip of the enormous iceberg that is "The Matrix". Released in early 1999 without much fanfare, but with surprisingly high number of positive critical reviews, "The Matrix" became a science fiction and cinematic juggernaut not seen since the days of the original "Star Wars". It produced a mind-bending story dealing with a fascinating take on reality. It also revolutionized the movie industry through its use of mind-numbing, computer-generated, special effects including the now-famous stop-motion technique known as 'bullet time'. In the same manner by which George Lucas redefined the special effects industry with "Star Wars" in 1977, which created an influence which has been seen in countless movies in the quarter-century since, the Wachowski brothers did the same following "The Matrix". The 'bullet time' technique has been borrowed, ripped-off, and parodied in so many forms in the past four years, one forgets that it was only four years ago that this was introduced to the masses.
The premise of "The Matrix", for anyone who has been living under a rock since 1999, can be derived from the very quote at beginning of this review. It posits the notion that the world we see and live in is not the true reality. Instead, it is a computer-generated 'virtual reality' designed to make the human mind believe it is living a normal life when, in truth, they are simply crops to be harvested for energy by a vicious race of machines who took control of Earth some 200 years earlier. The very method by which the machines keep humans in bondage is also the means by which many of the humans strike back to reclaim humanity's domain over the world. It is called The Matrix. A cranial connection into this elaborate computer system is what enables the machines to control the human mind. It is also how the few bands of rogue humans who have managed to escape the system will free other humans and seek to bring about the machines' destruction. Operating on the theory of 'nature always finds a way', a few anomalies among humans realized that the Matrix wasn't real, broke free, and began the struggle to free all humans connected to the system. The leader of one of these rogue groups, Morpheus, believes he is destined to find 'The One', the individual who will be able fight the machines and defeat them. He believes this 'One' is Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), better known as Neo. He believes that Neo will be the one who can defeat the machines and their 'Agent' programs in the Matrix where so many before him failed.
There is a definite mentor-student relationship that takes place between Morpheus and Neo, as well as all the obligatory training and education scenes as Neo comes to understand what reality is. Where this might seem perfunctory in other movies, in "The Matrix" it is amazing as each new path inspires a sense of awe in the viewer. Some believe this movie has no plot or a convoluted one. In truth, it is a plot with such depth that this movie has developed an almost religious following among its fans and in-depth analysis among academics and philosophers. There is not one frame of wasted film throughout the entire movie. Each character has a defined purpose and each one fits perfectly into the overall story arc. In addition to Morpheus and Neo, there is the tough, yet vulnerable Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) and the Judas-like Cypher (a slimy Joe Pantoliano). "The Matrix" also introduces the audience to one of the best cinematic villains to come along since Arnold Schwarzenneger's Terminator and "Star Wars" Darth Vader. It is one of the 'Agent' programs designed to eliminate the threat posed by these humans. He is called Agent Smith and he is played with such frightening menace by actor Hugo Weaving. Seemingly indestructable and definitely unpredictable, Agent Smith provokes the greatest fear among the brave band who do battle inside the Matrix.
The beauty of "The Matrix" is that it is still as strong four years later as it was when it was first released. The phenomenal success of this film led the Wachowskis to create trilogy out of this story. It has the power and potential to be as strong a remembered as fondly as the original "Star Wars" trilogy. To be able to be there at the beginning of such an amazing story now lets me understand how audiences felt in 1977 when they saw "Star Wars" for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: "There is no...."
Review: "...more philosophical, yet interesting action packed movie ever made"...The Matrix is truly a masterpiece of Hollywood, in a time when mostly watered-down comedy, drama, action garbage is spewed forth by Cali... We are immediately transported into a place that is similar, yet altogether too different and strange from the world we know today...The Matrix, believe it or not has bases in metaphysics and even theology...metaphysics? you say....well when you think about it, the premise of this world not being here and it really being a farce is really metaphysical in nature as it deals w/our very existence...there are also very credible parallels between The Matrix and Christianity, as Morpheus is "resurrected" in the movie, and Neo has to lead his followers to ultimate triumph...in fact, he is leading his people from slavery, which directly relates to the Christian idea of Moses leading his people from slavery... on a simpler level, The Matrix is a movie which is 100% enjoyable...it is filled w/action scenes, cliff-hangers, and ideas that will make you think...before Morpheus blatantly explains what the Matrix is, and shows Neo to the desert of the real, the watcher has to wonder what IS the matrix? on an acting note, Keanu Reeves is admirable in this leading role, and his supporting actors (forgive me for not knowing their names, im not the biggest movie buff ever) are excellent in being believable in the people they are supposed to be...the movie also throws a curve w/one of the characters which keeps it on a very real level, keeping the ideas and characters w/i this world despite delving into great levels of sci-fi The Matrix is a movie i waited too long to see...do not make the same mistake, it is a fantastic movie...please go watch it and make yourself happy
Rating: 
Summary: good. could have been great though.
Review: "Dark City" and "Strange Days" offered intriguing motivations for villainy. "Matrix" is more like a superhero comic book in which the fate of the world comes down to a titanic fist-fight between the designated representatives of good and evil. It's cruel, really, to put tantalizing ideas on the table and then ask the audience to be satisfied with a shoot-out and a martial arts duel. Let's assume Neo wins. What happens then to the billions who have just been "unplugged" from the Matrix? Do they still have jobs? Homes? Identities? All we get is an enigmatic voice-over exhortation at the movie's end. Still, I must not ignore the movie's virtues. It's great-looking, both in its design and in the kinetic energy that powers it. It uses flawlessly integrated special effects and animation to visualize regions of cyberspace. And it has performances that find the right notes. Keanu Reeves goes for the impassive Harrison Ford approach, "acting" as little as possible. I suppose that's the right idea. Laurence Fishburne finds a balance between action hero and Zen master. Carrie-Anne Moss, as Trinity, has a sensational title sequence, before the movie recalls that she's a woman and shuttles her into support mode. Hugo Weaving, as the chief Agent, uses a flat, menacing tone that reminded me of Tommy Lee Jones in passive-aggressive overdrive. There's a well-acted scene involving Gloria Foster as the Oracle, who like all Oracles is maddeningly enigmatic. "The Matrix" did not bore me. It interested me so much, indeed, that I wanted to be challenged even more. I wanted it to follow its material to audacious conclusions, to arrive not simply at victory, but at revelation. I wanted an ending that was transformational, like "Dark City's," and not one that simply throws us a sensational action sequence. I wanted, in short, a Third Act.
Rating:
Summary: Expert effects, but overrated and at times disturbing...
Review: "No one can be told what the Matrix is." That is the claim of the film - and the teaser hook for the movie. Yet, ironically, the Matrix is an old plot device used many times before in other science fiction, from "Star Trek" to the "Outer Limits". But while "The Matrix" lacks in uniqueness, it does have style and some very clever, very well done action sequences. If nothing else, the movie excels in its special effects and cinematography. Even the story is entertaining, if not very deep. But there is one flaw that cannot be brushed off as simply bad filmmaking. The heroes of the film show a disturbing level of enjoyment in destroying the villains, and even in killing the rather innocent "unenlightened" citizens of the Matrix. Unlike some other "softer" action movies, the characters of "The Matrix" hold a cold attitude that is downright creepy. In an escapist movie like "The Matrix", this kind of thing is bad. If it does not disturb us and turn us off, then it de-sensitizes us. At its best, "The Matrix" is only a clever, action movie and at its worst it is a cold-hearted, shallow film.
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